The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-12
BROOKLYN MOURNS.
TRIBUTES to The GREAT PREACHER
Multitudes Attend the Beeeher Flu
neral at Plymouth Church.
The Iatsrier Decorated - for wedding Covering
the Coffin With Fiesess- Services
In Other Churches.

was IN mourning to-day over the death OF
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Public
offices were closed, business entirely sus-
pended and memorial services were held
in a large number of churches i'm the vi
cinity of Plymouth Church. Up town
streets looked deserted. AS early as
O'Clock Fulton Avenue was thronged with
people hurrying in direction of Plymouth
Church. Lines of police were stationed
at the ends Of the block on which the
church is situated and no one was allowed
to pass through the lines unless he had a
ticket. Before s O'Clock the line i'm Or
ange street was two blocks long. three
abreast. The side streets were packed
with people who hung around, hoping
that they might be able to get in without
a ticket
Members of Plymouth Company G.
of the Thirteenth regiment, if which Mr..
Beecher was Chaplain, were stationed at
the doors of the Church and reception
room. The whole interior was turned
into a perfect flower garden and the fra
grant perfume of roses pervaded the air.
The walls, galleries and organ were COW
cred with evergreens and Gala lilies.
The reading desk was covered with
French roses and vines, as was also the
chair in which Mr.. Beecher sat for SO
many years. One floral emblem was in
the shape of a triangle, ON top of which
were perched two white doves With
white ribbons in their bills. The facade
r "A
plants. The pulpit was loaded down
with flowers and floral emblems sent by
friends.
DEATH ARRAYED IN FLOwERS.
The casket was placed ON catafalque
of white roses, while carnations and
reading desk. Several ladies devoted
their time before the doors were opened
in covering the casket with lilies of the
valley, Eucharist roses, smilax, maiden
hair ferns, tuberoses and French moss.
When they finished not vestige of the
be seen. There was nothing to indicate
the presence of death except the stiffness
which pervaded the room and the hushed
conversation of the workers. The church
had more the appearance of a wedding
than a funeral A photographer took a
picture of the floral decorations and the
casket
THE PUBLIC SERVICES.
1t was nearly 10 O'Clock before the
doors We're thrown open to those who
had been waiting impatiently for nearly
three hours The people entered by the
Orange street entrance. The first four
seats on the right of the centre aisle
were reserved for relatives of the de-
ceased Mr.. Beecher's family were not
present, and the family pew was filled
with flowers Mrs. Beecher was in the
church for few minutes before the
doors were opened and left with her
sons before the crowd entered On the
left side of the centre aisle weIe menu
bers of the Clerical Union. of which MIR.
Beecher was a member for a number of
years. Behind these were seated officers
of the Thirteenth Regiment and then
came members of the Legislative com
mittee who wore badges of white silk
Behind these We're seated delegations
from nearly every social, political or re-
hgious organization in New York and
Brooklyn. There was a large delegation
of colored ministers present.
THE BURIAL SERVICES.
At 1870 Rev. DIR. Chas. III. Hall, robed
in his white surplice and accompanied
by the Rev. s. h Halliday, entered the
church and ascended the platform.
When the music ceased, DIR. Hall COM
mencei tO read in low but clear tones
the opening sentence of the Protestant
Episcopal burial service. After Shese the
double quartette. composed of Mrs. Shell
ley. soprano: Miss Cavanat, alto; Mrs.
Grant, soprano; Mrs. sRosar, alto; Mr..
Gaff and Mr.. Warrenroth, tenors. Mr..
Brown. Mr.. Stews. bassO. and chorus
of sixty voices sang the burial chant
Lord, Let be Known Mine End" The
lesson was re:s.i by DR. Hall and pray
er was delivered by the Rev. :. b. Halli-
day. The rest of the musical pro-
gramme was as follows: Anthem.
blessed are the Departed" Spohe;
HYMN. Jesus. Lover of MY Soul.
Zundl: sentence. II heard a voice" Shell
ley: hymn. ''Hark. NV Soul The or
gan was presided over by Henry Eyre
Brown and Gen. Horatio C.. King.
After thu. first lesson. DIR. Hall com
menced his service. During its delivery
there was not "A dry eye in the house and
several time he was compelled to stop
for "A short time to gain control of his
VOICE Mr.. Hall pronounced the bene-
diction and the vast audience slowly filed
ont of the church Ii was notable
gathering and one long to be remember
Ell by those present.
SERVICES IN OTHER CHURCHES
The other churches in which services
We're held were all crowded to the utmost
extent of their capacity. Not a vacant
seat. not an unoccupied foot of standing
room was there i'm Plymouth Church.
The surrounding streets in all directions
Were crowded with people waiting pa
riently for their turn to gaze on the face
of the dead preacher. Ii is estimated
that full a5.0O0 people attended services
in the various churches, and fully twice
that number were gathered in the streets
i'm the neighborhood of Plymouth
Church After the conclusion of the ser
vices at Plymouth Church the public
was admitted To view the body as il lay
i'm state. The people were formed i'm line
with policemen at every few yards To
keen late comers from breaking in In a